Purple Chinese Hat Plant (Holmskioidia tettensis)
Tall, 6-8” spires of beautiful blooms adorn this upright, but sprawling, bush from spring through fall. The pink calyxes and purple flowers have an unusual form and look like perched butterflies ready for flight. The decorative flowers hold on for weeks. Planted in the garden as an annual in northern zones, this tropical Asian native attracts butterflies, hummingbirds and bees. In southern zones, it grows 4-5’ tall and is a perennial in zones 10 and higher. It makes a wonderful potted plant, too. Prune it back in the spring before new growth emerges to maintain a nice shape. It grows fast in summer and flowers on current season’s growth.